Over the centuries, numerous types of knots have been used to secure a rope to a fixed member so that a large force may be applied to the rope with almost no chance that the knot will fail and release the rope. When a knot is to be subjected to a large amount of force, it is desirable to use a knot that does not jam. When a large amount of force is applied to a jamming knot, the knot cinches and tightens on itself to an extent that it may become impossible to untie. A jamming knot that is typically known to the lay person is a simple overhand or granny knot.
Among the numerous knots that may be used to secure the end of a rope to another object, one of the most common and useful knots is the bowline knot. The bowline knot does not slip, pinch, or kink the rope, and does not jam and become difficult to untie. Although the bowline knot is relatively easy to tie when one has practiced the knot, it presents difficulties to a novice, especially when tying the knot under pressure or in the dark. Another difficultly with relatively complicated knots, such as the bowline, is that they are often learned in the upright and right-handed position, while in use a person may have to tie the knot upside down and left handed.
During an emergency situation requiring the connection of an end of a rope to a fixed body such as a large truck or a grounded eye ring or any other secured object, the person tying the securing knot is more likely to incorrectly tie the knot, thus endangering anyone who uses the rope. Such an occurrence is even more likely in a situation where the person tying the knot is relatively unskilled in the art of knot tying. When such a person must tie a critical knot under pressure, the resulting knot is often incorrectly formed and may pull out over time even if the knot initially feels secure. On the other hand, a person may tie an improper knot that jams upon application of a large force. Although such a knot is preferred to one that pulls out, the rope may have to be cut to retrieve it. Furthermore, knots are also known to weaken the rope at its junction point.
Various devices are known in the art that provide a controlled descent along a rope by providing a frame through or around which the rope may be wrapped. Friction between the rope and frame slows the descent of the frame against gravity and may slow it to a point where the frame may support an adult and yet provide a controlled descent. None of these devices, however, provide a simple frame that provides an uncomplicated method for connecting a rope such that no relative movement occurs between the rope and the frame. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a device that provides an easy, reliable method for positively securing a rope without the use of a knot.